Donald Trump grabbed the spotlight in New Hampshire this week, but the national Democratic Party has its sights set firmly on former Bay State Gov. Mitt Romney, attacking the GOP bigwig on everything from gas prices to campaign financing in a coordinated blitz.

"Quite frankly, it sounds like an April Fool's joke," said former Assemblyman Roger Niello, a Fair Oaks Republican who served as vice chair of the Assembly Budget Committee. "I have no idea how they would do this even if they're serious about it."

Republican Sen. Bob Huff of Diamond Bar, the vice chair of the Senate Budget Committee, called the tactic "just nuts."

◼ 16 state workers laid off for politics will get $422,000 - Chicago TribuneThe 16 were laid off from jobs at the Illinois Department of Transportation in July 2004, the second year of Blagojevich's reign. They sued the agency for wrongful termination, and a federal jury agreed last month that they had been "fired for their political affiliations," said Donald Craven, an attorney for the workers.

The event took place on April 29th, 2011. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Sen. Rick Santorum (Pa.), Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.) and conservative talk radio host Herman Cain all attended the event and spoke.

After the election of Obama, the Main Stream Media spoke in wonderful prose: A black president in America! Racism is over! Who knew it would be Obama, and that same Main Stream Media, that would not only keep it alive, but encourage its use as a vicious weapon against free speech and political dissent?

Friday, April 29, 2011

Update: In a pants-on-fire moment, the White House press office today denied anyone there had issued threats to remove Carla Marinucci and possibly other Hearst reporters from the press pool covering the President in the Bay Area.

Chronicle editor Ward Bushee called the press office on its fib:

Sadly, we expected the White House to respond in this manner based on our experiences yesterday. It is not a truthful response. It follows a day of off-the-record exchanges with key people in the White House communications office who told us they would remove our reporter, then threatened retaliation to Chronicle and Hearst reporters if we reported on the ban, and then recanted to say our reporter might not be removed after all.

The nation’s largest firefighters union has decided to bail on federal candidates this election cycle, dealing President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats a major blow in their efforts to hold the White House and Senate.

Although the International Association of Fire Fighters gives to both Democrats and Republicans, the 300,000-member organization gives far more to the Democratic Party. In the most recent election cycle, Democrats received $1.9 million, and Republicans, just over $400,000, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

In announcing the move to suspend federal campaign contributions, union President Harold Schaitberger blasted both parties, charging that “extreme right-wing conservative and so-called tea party politicians are coming after firefighters, paramedics, and all public workers with a vengeance across the United States” and that “too few Democrats are standing up and fighting for us.”

The USA Today/Gallup survey of 1,013 U.S. adults looked at whether Americans expressed more confidence in the ability of Republicans or Democrats in Congress to deal with six major issues facing the country.

The federal budget was the only issue in which respondents clearly preferred one party over the other, with 48 percent favoring Republicans and 36 percent Democrats.

Watching the machinations of Barack Obama, it seems as though he is creating what the Marxists call "internal contradictions."

Gas prices ready to breach the $5 mark, but a relentless Administration campaign against increased domestic energy production; midterm elections soundly rejecting the President and his party's command and control initiatives, but vigorous efforts to extend them in contempt not only of electoral, but legislative and judicial checks; foreign and defense policies that have produced nothing beyond betrayal of our interests and few remaining friends, but an eager embrace of fringe notions of a utopian internationalist order and our place in that order: every day brings new movements in this symphony of dissonance.

Unfortunately, we are not simply enjoying a clarifying dialectic; we are in the middle of a high stakes race. The objective in this race is not a place; it is a date: Election Day, November 6, 2012.

There is a vigorous battle going on - mostly behind the scenes - in Russia. The victor will be the next president of Russia. Will Medvedev atay or will Putin return? In ins and outs of this conflict is the theme of this week's column appearing today online in The American Spectator.

The organization will not live up to the same campaign finance standards by which Obama has pledged to run its campaign. They will take unregulated donations that do not require disclosure....

A spokesman for Crossroads, the conservative independent fundraising behemoth, immediately accused President Obama of "brazen hypocrisy." The president's "own political operatives are launching the very type of groupes they demagogued as 'shadowy threats to democracy,'" Crossroads spokesman Jonathan Collegio said in a statement....

◼ In memo, Priorities USA defends secret-money shift - Politico
The brand-new pro-White House group Priorities USA distributed a memo to backers this morning defending itself from the intense, expected fire this morning over its flouting President Obama's stated opposition not just to outside money, but to undisclosed outside money.

Here's the full memo, sent to Democratic activists and forwarded over by a Democrat:

◼ Obama Administration punishes reporter for using multimedia - SFgate/Bronstein at LargeThe Chronicle's Carla Marinucci - who, like many contemporary reporters, has a phone with video capabilities on her at all times - pulled out a small video camera last week and shot some protesters interrupting an Obama fundraiser at the St. Regis Hotel....

Just the day before Carla's Stone Age infraction, Mr. Obama was at Facebook seated next to its founder, Mark Zuckerberg, and may as well have been wearing an "I'm With Mark" t-shirt for all the mutual admiration going back and forth.

"The main reason we wanted to do this is," Obama said of his appearance, "first of all, because more and more people, especially young people, are getting their information through different media. And historically, part of what makes for a healthy democracy, what is good politics, is when you've got citizens who are informed, who are engaged."

Informed, in other words, through social and other digital media where videos of news are posted.

The President and his staffers deftly used social media like Twitter and Facebook in his election campaign and continue to extol the virtues and value. Except, apparently, when it comes to the press....

◼ Tornado victims: How to help; Update: Obama to Alabama - Michelle Malkin
◼ ABC News lists ways to help tornado survivors:
◼ You can call 1-800-RED-CROSS or text “REDCROSS” to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
◼ You can call 1-800-SAL-ARMY and donors can text “GIVE” to 80888 to make a $10 donation. Checks can be made out to the Salvation Army Disaster Relief, P.O. Box 100339, Atlanta, Ga., 30384-0339.
◼ Alabama’s governor also has a relief fund donation page here.
◼ Alabama GOP Sen. Jeff Sessions will be touring affected areas today and also has a relief page here.

Telling voters that they have to pay high gas prices in order to ineffectually fight climate change would be honest but incalculably dumb, politically. Recent polling shows that Americans care about the economy more — a lot more — than global warming. Skepticism about the existence of a problem or its scope has been rising in the U.S. and Europe. When a Pew poll in January asked voters what their biggest priorities were, climate changed ranked second to last. Only obesity was deemed less of a priority. (Don't tell Michelle Obama.)

Public disapproval of President Barack Obama’s handling of the economy reached a new high in mid-April, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll, as gasoline prices neared $4 a gallon and Washington lawmakers fought a bitter battle over the federal budget.

Some 57 percent of registered voters said they disapproved of Obama’s economic management, while only 40 percent approved. That’s the lowest score of his presidency.

“These numbers spell political trouble,” said Lee Miringoff, the director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion in New York, which conducted the survey. “To get re-elected with a 57 percent disapproval rating would be a very tall order.”

Meanwhile, public pessimism is growing: Fifty-seven percent of U.S. adults said they thought the worst was yet to come for the U.S economy, up sharply from 39 percent in January. And 71 percent said the nation was still in a recession, even though the slump, which began in December 2007, officially ended in June 2009.

1. Forget running a candidate against Obama in 2012. That would be a sure way to alienate much of his black and Latin base. Instead, there needs to be a progressive strategy focused on Congressional races. That means identifying key races to run genuine progressive candidates against conservative Democrats and/or Republicans.

2. We need to build an electoral organization that can run such candidates. There are examples of these around the country but we need to expand, ultimately building something at the national level that rivals the vision of the National Rainbow Coalition from the late 1980s. It needs to be an organization that has a mass base and can run candidates inside and outside the Democratic Party.

3. We desperately need mass action. Wisconsin was wonderful for many reasons but one important one was the sustained presence in the capitol. A protest movement focused on power needs to be prepared to break the law, not through the actions of a few individuals, but much as happened in Wisconsin, as well as in the Civil Rights movement, with masses of people making a situation untenable.

But we also have to develop key strategic targets for our actions where we are clear on what we want them to do. This will largely happen at the local level at first, but it can also happen at the national level, such as through selective boycotts.

4. We have to think and act globally and locally. We must link with social movements around the world challenging U.S. foreign policy, providing such movements with whatever level of support we can. We cannot allow more Honduras coup situations, and we have to make it clear that U.S. policy in Afghanistan is a disaster.

While many on the US left express disappointment with Obama, when push comes to shove, they will back their man to the hilt.

The US left understands that 2012 is decisive.

If a conservative Republican wins, they know that many of the US left’s hard fought gains will be rolled back.

If Obama wins, they know the socialist juggernaut will be virtually unstoppable.

Consequently the US left, from Democrats to socialists, to Marxist-Leninists, will throw every thing into this election. Look for mass protests, street violence, intimidation and mass law breaking, as the US left mounts a do or die, last gasp “Thet Offensive” against Middle America and its values.

The fact that Mr. Obama did his own dirty laundry reminds that this president has no inkling how to act presidential. Standing at the podium over the seal of the presidency, he claimed, “We don’t have time for this silliness.” He then flew to Chicago with Michelle to tape the Oprah Winfrey show and attend three fundraisers. It’s not as if he didn’t have more important news to discuss such as the appointments of Leon E. Panetta as secretary of defense and Gen. David H. Petraeus as CIA director, Middle East turmoil or America’s multiple wars. Let a flack handle the tabloid fare.

The birth-certificate brouhaha reiterates an old political truth: It’s always the cover-up that causes the most trouble. Too bad Mr. Obama didn’t learn his lesson.

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour's abrupt withdrawal from the race for the Republican presidential nomination -- after hiring a top-notch New Hampshire campaign manager and planning to fly around the country next week -- has naturally inspired a lot of punditry on the Republican presidential race.... Romney seems sure to run and, despite the burden of his Massachusetts Romneycare program, may do better this time. Huckabee, enjoying his Fox News show, seems unlikely to run.

So does Sarah Palin. Polls show that all Republicans know her, most like her a lot and relatively few name her as their first choice. The electoral fates of Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell have been instructive. It's one thing to lose a Senate seat by nominating a candidate you love who can't win. It's another thing to lose the presidency that way.

There are plenty more potential contenders. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels surely would make any well-informed person's list of top 20 Republicans; he's mulling it over. So probably would former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who is clearly running. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, out of office for 12 years, remains a fount of attractive ideas.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and current Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann have run behind the Republican base vote in their constituencies but can electrify a conservative crowd. Texas Rep. Ron Paul has his devoted set of true believers, a constituency probably transferable to his son, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.

And then there's Donald Trump. I'll let you fill in the blanks.

The presidential nomination process remains the weakest part of our political system. It's too lengthy, its rules are too capricious and giving eternal first dibs to Iowa and New Hampshire is intellectually indefensible.

But some Republican will be nominated and will face a president whose positions on issues are currently unpopular. Those who want change must hope for the best. Read the rest...

U.S. economic growth slowed more than expected in the first quarter as higher food and gasoline prices dampened consumer spending, and sent a broad measure of inflation rising at its fastest pace in 2-1/2 years.... But...

Typically, I attempt to dispel one dumb liberal myth per blog post, but with the misconceptions flying fast and furious around Republicans’ deficit reduction plan, new measures must be taken. So here I’ll attempt to break down three: (1) That poor polling of the Medicare plan should derail attempts at reform, (2) that the Ryan plan’s tax cuts fly in the face of his deficit reduction attempts, and (3) that we don’t even need to discuss entitlement reform to solve the deficit....

◼ Self-esteem has run amok in Jerry Brown's state -- with active Obama administration participation - Ron Ross for The American SpectatorCalifornia -- it's the best place to live and it's the worst place to live. The physical climate is almost ideal and the political climate, if you're a conservative, is surreal. Through their politicians and bureaucrats Californians seem hell bent on destroying the state's vast potential. It's a painful sight to witness....
***
Humboldt County note: Ron Ross Ph.D. is an economist who lives in Arcata, California. He is the author of The Unbeatable Market. Reach him at rossecon@gmail.com.

...Consider a wife in a family with $90,000 in income. If she were to earn an additional $3,700, her family would lose the insurance subsidy and be more than $10,000 poorer. In addition, she would also pay more in income and Social Security taxes. Taken together, these policies impose a substantial punishment on work effort....

Unions fought hard to stop the bill, launching a radio ad that assailed the plan and warning legislators that if they voted for the measure, they could lose their union backing in the next election. After the vote, labor leaders accused House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo and other Democrats of turning their backs on public employees.

“It’s pretty stunning,’’ said Robert J. Haynes, president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. “These are the same Democrats that all these labor unions elected. The same Democrats who we contributed to in their campaigns. The same Democrats who tell us over and over again that they’re with us, that they believe in collective bargaining, that they believe in unions. . . . It’s a done deal for our relationship with the people inside that chamber.’’

“We are going to fight this thing to the bitter end,’’ he added. “Massachusetts is not the place that takes collective bargaining away from public employees.’’

It's one thing to urge Americans to vacation on the troubled Gulf coast last summer, while your wife flies off to Spain with a planeload of pals.

It's another to spend much of Earth Day in a 747 jumbo jet flying 2,300 miles cross-country back from a slew of multimillion-dollar West Coast fundraisers, as Obama did last week.

It's one thing to launch a war against Libya while packing up your wife, daughters, mother-in-law and her friend to tour South America.

It's another to wait nine whole days to bother explaining the unexpected combat to a puzzled nation. Or nearly two months to arrange an Oval Office address on the country's worst environmental disaster ever.

"...whatever bump in enthusiasm Democrats may have gotten over Wisconsin is not lasting, and what appeared to some to be a revival of unionism in America is not shaping up to be a left-wing counterweight to the right-wing TEA party. Republicans have more intense excitement about defeating Barack Obama than do Democrats have in re-electing him, and the trend is in the wrong direction for Democrats."...

...It’s unbelievable to me that you spent last week in campaign mode, gallivanting around the country to start raising the billion dollars for your reelection bid that is still 19 months away “while Rome burns.” Our economy is in the tank; jobs are as scarce as ever; you’re asking Congress to let you incur even more unsustainable, immoral, freedom-stealing government debt; and many of our brave men and women in uniform are shaking their heads in disbelief over your befuddled military directions. Yet instead of working with Congress and a wise multitude of advisers to fix some problems, you choose all this campaigning, already? As was recently asked: When do you ever just “roll up your sleeves, unplug the teleprompter” and do the job of governing and administrating for which voters hired you?...

...Forest is sticking by its chief. "No one has ever alleged that Mr. Solomon did anything wrong, and excluding him [from the industry] is unjustified," said general counsel Herschel Weinstein. "It would also set an extremely troubling precedent that would create uncertainty throughout the industry and discourage regulatory settlements...."

Views on the war could impact Obama’s fortunes in the next election: Among those who disapprove of his handling of the situation, 70 percent say they will definitely not vote for him for re-election in 2012.

◼ Where Did All the Anti-War Protestors Go? - John Stossel is "struck by the hypocrisy of the supposedly “anti-war” politicians who voted against Iraq, like Nancy Pelosi. Since Obama was elected, she has voted to continue the war in Afghanistan … and supported the attack on Libya."

Iran has been hit with new malicious software as part of cyber attacks against the country, a military officer told Mehr news agency on Monday without specifying the target.

"Certain characteristics about the 'Stars' virus have been identified, including that it is compatible with the (targeted) system," Gholam Reza Jalali, commander of the Iranian civil defence organisation, told the agency.

"In the initial stage, the damage is low and it is likely to be mistaken for governmental executable files," Jalali said, adding that Iranian experts were still investigating the full scope of the malware's abilities.

It is folly to draw any conclusions because it’s extremely unusual for the Supreme Court to grant certiorari – that is, review – of a case while it’s still working its way through the lower federal courts.

GM and Chrysler account for nine of the cars among the bottom eleven. IN other news, the UAW is grateful for your generosity in keeping their union from disappearing. It appears you've achieved little else with your donation.

...the reports of Obama's speech eliciting several standing ovations were arguably only true in the balcony if you included us getting up to leave. A perfunctory speech, a lackluster response...and noticeable grumblings and lack of enthusiasm from his base. The press reports made it seem otherwise, but if last night was any indication of where things are going, then Team Obama is in deep trouble....

◼ Tax Hikes on Top Earners? Bloomberg Says Now Is Not the Time - FOXNew York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Sunday that a rating agency's decision to downgrade the U.S. debt outlook sends a "warning" about the need to balance the budget. But he said tax hikes on upper-income Americans are not the way to do it....

Bloomberg said Standard & Poor's decision last week to lower the U.S. debt outlook to "negative" from "stable" should send a message that it's time to get serious about the deficit. The agency upheld the country's credit rating, but cautioned that if political deadlock prevents a deficit-reduction plan from being approved, that credit rating could be in danger.
"I don't know that we're in big trouble, but we certainly could be very easily. I think this is a warning," Bloomberg said. "We cannot continue to spend money we don't have. Deficits do matter."

Welcome

Hi, I'm John Schutt, chairman of the Humboldt County Republican Central Committee: Want to get involved? We need republicans for open spots on the central committee, committee seats, letters to the editor writers, and more. Send me your thoughts and ideas on making Humboldt great again. Please feel free to call the office (442-2259) or leave a message here (or on Facebook) and I will get back to you as soon as possible.